First takeaways from LAFC's 1-1 draw at Minnesota United

Out of necessity and for only the third time this season, LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo improvised to a three-man backline in response to having three fullbacks unavailable against Minnesota United. How did the lineup adjustment work out for the Black & Gold?

On Tuesday night, LAFC and Minnesota United played to a 1-1 draw with goals from Loons defender Brent Kallman and LAFC forward Carlos Vela. Cristian Tello was able to make his MLS debut for the Black & Gold, who played with two different formations in each half.

Let's get into the takeaways.

System change

With Franco Escobar, Diego Palacios, and Ryan Hollingshead out on Tuesday, LAFC lined up a little differently in defense. A three-man backline of Sebastien Ibeagha, Jesus Murillo, and Eddie Segura started for the Black & Gold in a 3-4-1-2 formation for the visitors. Kellyn Acosta and Denis Bouanga were the designated wingbacks when defending and the outside midfielders when attacking.

"We were very shorthanded, especially at the outside back position," admitted Cherundolo. "We played a different formation today."

Minnesota's Luis Amarilla's shot in the 20th minute came off the post and Emanuel Reynoso missed a clear scoring opportunity of his own after his shot inside the box went wide minutes later. The attitude and mentality were right from the start, as Vela, Bouanga, and Acosta all dropped down to contribute defensively while also applying the press occasionally, specifically Bouanga. 

However, late in the first half, the Loons broke the deadlock after Kallman's header from the center of the box found the back of the net for the opening goal of the match. You can't blame it on the system change when a goal derives from a set piece, but the approach and style of play for LAFC were definitely altered. The way the Black & Gold push up its outside backs in the attack was surely missed against Minnesota.

In the second half, Cherundolo went back to his traditional 4-3-3 system, with Acosta slotting at right back and Segura sliding in at left-back. Cifuentes entered the game at halftime for Cristian Arango and filled out the midfield trio with Ilie and Blessing. There was plenty of movement in players switching positions but given the circumstances, the team adapted well to the system adjustments and improved the overall fluidity of the attack in the second half.

"The performance in the second half was very good," commented Cherundolo. "We changed things in the second half, pushed forward, and the mentality of the group was really strong and we are happy with that."

Vela doing it all

Starting the game as a central attacking midfielder, Vela did a little bit of everything throughout the match. With a team-leading 12 assists on the year, Vela has been the Black & Gold's best playmaker in 2022. The former Mexican international linked up a few times with Bouanga, tried to find Bale on a few runs from the Welshman and delivered a perfect cross to Arango, who missed a wide-open header inside the box.

Defensively, Vela put in the work and helped out his teammates by dropping deep in his own half to defend and recover possession. It was the reflection of true leadership by example from the 33-year-old.

"He played more as a 10 in the first half and in the second half as a winger in his national position," affirmed Cherundolo. "He also played as a nine or false nine, where he did score."

Vela's magic moment came in the 64th minute when he found himself with space at the top of the box and curled a left-footed shot to the top corner for the equalizer and his ninth goal of the season. It was a trademark Vela goal that ignited the hopes of a comeback win. 

"In the middle of the park he is a threat, whether it's his passing or finishing," stated Cherundolo. "It's very good to see Carlos score one of those goals that we have all come accustomed to seeing Carlos scoring. It's a great sign for him, it's a great sign for us, but maybe not such a great sign for the opponents."

Taking the point

All things considered, a draw on the road against one of the better teams in the Western Conference is not a bad result. The adversity of playing without any natural fullbacks and having to improvise tactically reflected a mentally-prepared group that battled until the end. More importantly, the lesson learned from the previous match of staying focused for 90 minutes paid off as LAFC earned a hard-fought point away from home.

"We're happy with a point on the road," said Cherundolo. "Effort wise and the work as a collective was successful for LAFC."

It was a difficult two-game road trip for the Black & Gold that started last Saturday in the loss to FC Dallas. Although a victory is always the coveted result, sometimes a point on the road is all it takes to regain some lost confidence, especially away from home.

With two of the remaining three regular-season games at Banc of Calfornia Stadium, LAFC could potentially only have to travel one more time for the rest of the year, as the team could clinch the top seed in the West as soon as this week and perhaps the Supporters Shield as well if certain results go their way.